Speedy can opener



Dgc. 22, 1959 DASENBROCK 2,918,193

SPEEDY CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 12, 1957 INVENTOR. JOHN DASENBROGK United States Patent SPEEDY CAN OPENER John Dasenbrock, Poughkeepsie, NY.

Application February 12, 1957, Serial No. 639,667

1 Claim. 01. 220-52 This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to can openers for opening cans of the type having a closure strip that integrally secures the top to the cylindrical side wall.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can opener that has means for winding the closure strip of side opening cans, such as vacuum packed coffee cans and shortening cans, without the necessity of using the manually operated key associated therewith.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a can opener of the above type wherein the can is supported adjacent to a guide frame and the strip automatically removed from the can by winding it upon a rotatable shaft, whereby the sharp edges ordinarily present do not present any hazard to the operator.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a can opener bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top elevational view of a device made in accordance with present invention, in operative use;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the device as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of certain of the operating elements.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a can opener made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a frame that is operative to support a cylindrical can 11 in proper association with the operating mechanism. This frame includes a substantially straight support leg 12 having a fastening flange 13 and an arcuate guide portion 14, each of which are adapted to be secured to a stationary object 15, such as by screws 16.

As is more clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, a horizontal flange 19 that is secured to the support bracket 12 is provided with a bearing 18 that is adapted to rotatably support a handle 20 and downwardly extending bifurcated retaining shaft 22. This shaft 22 is provided with a pair of legs 23 that have inwardly facing serrated surfaces 24 that are spaced apart to define a slot or recess 25 therebetween. The outermost extremity of the arcuate portion 14 is provided with a brace 26 that is adapted to overlie the top of the can 11 so as to prevent upward displacement thereof relative to the operating mechanism. A magnet 28 is also secured to the top edge of the arcuate guide portion 14 so as to support the metallic lid of the can after it has been released from the body thereof by the action of the operating mechanism.

As is more clearly shown in Figure 3, an adapter 30 is hingedly connected into the support wall 12 by a pivot pin 31. This adapter is arranged to be rotated from an inoperative position in which it is out of the line of movement of the can, to an operative position 30a wherein it is within the path of movement of a can. This adapter is moved to the operative position when it is desired to open cans having a tapered side wall, such as hash cans and the like. Thus, the adapter is operative to maintain the adjacent portion of the side wall in a vertical plane as the closure strip is removed therefrom by the handle 20 and retaining bar 22.

In use, the can is placed within the frame 10 and the end of the closure strip is inserted within the slot 25 between the pair of legs 23, whereupon rotation of the handle 20 is operative to wind the strip upon the shaft 22. The brace 26 prevents upward displacement of the can relative to the frame so that the strip is peeled along a straight line as the entire strip is removed.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A can opener for opening cans of the type having downwardly and inwardly tapered side walls and/ or cans of the type having vertical cylindrical side walls and the cans having a closure strip integrally securing the top lid thereto comprising, in combination, a frame having a vertical concave cylindrical surface for guiding a can for rotation about a central vertical axis, winding means carried by said frame adapted to remove a closure strip secured to the side wall of a can supported thereby, said winding means comprising a bifurcated shaft rotatably supported by said frame for rotation about a vertical axis, said shaft including a pair of spaced apart legs defining a slot therebetween for removably securing the free end of the closure strip integrally secured to the outer surface of the can adjacent the upper end thereof, an adapter hingedly connected to said frame by a horizontally arranged pivot pin, said adapter arranged to hinge about the horizontal axis of said pin beneath said Winding means, said adapter being operative to be pivoted into a vertical plane and into an inoperative position outside of the path of movement of a cylindrical walled can, said adapter being operative to be pivoted into a horizontal plane into an operative position within the path of movement of a tapered side wall can, the longitudinal axis of said bifurcated shaft lying substantially within the path of movement of the can supported by said frame, an overlying brace carried by said frame adapted to limit upward movement of a can supported by said frame, and a magnet pivotally supported upon the upper top edge of said frame and above the top lid of the can to support said top lid after it has been released from the side walls of said can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,634,883 Stiller Apr. 14, 1953 2,692,065 Bahler Oct. 19, 1954 2,708,530 Patterson May 17, 1955 2,759,627 Gehweiler Aug. 21, 1956 2,800,246 Koregelos et al July 23, 1957 2,809,765 De Fazio Oct. 15, 1957 2,813,654 Hobbs Nov. 19, 1957 

